The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art.
A motor vehicle often comprises a plurality of trim panels, e.g. interior trim panels. The trim panels may be arranged to cover an area of a body of the vehicle and/or one or more components of the vehicle that are fitted adjacent to the body, such that a portion of the body and/or the components are not visible to an occupant. In this way, the trim panels may be configured to improve the appearance of the interior of the vehicle, e.g. by providing an appearance that is uniform and uncluttered. Additionally or alternatively, the trim panel may be provided to protect components of the vehicle, e.g. by preventing the occupant or articles that have been loaded into the vehicle from contacting the components located beneath the trim panel.
The trim panels are often coupled to the body of the vehicle, e.g. a body frame of the vehicle, and are configured to sit against the body with a good fit, such that a gap between the trim panel and the vehicle body is minimized and is a consistent size along an edge of the trim panel adjacent to the vehicle body. When the trim portion is coupled directly to the vehicle body, ensuring a good fit between the trim panel and the body may be achieved using previously proposed methods. However, when the trim panel is not coupled directly to the vehicle body, for example, if the trim panel is supported by a bracket that is coupled to the vehicle body or another component of the vehicle, it may be challenging to maintain a consistent gap of a desired size between the trim panel and the vehicle body.